


A Silver's Debt Paid

by AuraWhiteFox



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Ghosts, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-28
Updated: 2011-04-28
Packaged: 2017-10-18 18:49:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/192089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraWhiteFox/pseuds/AuraWhiteFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the poetry month multi-fandom exchange.</p><p>The poem this fic is prompted from is The Listeners by Walter de la Mare</p>
    </blockquote>





	A Silver's Debt Paid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laceymcbain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laceymcbain/gifts).



> Written for the poetry month multi-fandom exchange.
> 
> The poem this fic is prompted from is The Listeners by Walter de la Mare

The winter must have been feeling generous to Dean, because in the three days that it took him to travel to his destination it only snowed twice and both times the snow was hardly more than a light dusting of flakes. The ground was even sprouting patches of grass here and there, just enough for his horse to snack on whenever they took a break.

Taking a look around him Dean drew his horse to a slower pace. The forest around him was beginning to get dense and the sun was riding low in the sky. It would be night soon, though thankfully tonight was to be a full moon so he’d have enough light to see the area around him. He hated when he had to stumble around in the dark. He always ended up with bruises in the oddest places.

Still, the coming darkness was creating a successfully creepy atmosphere and while Dean wasn’t superstitious like his family he couldn’t stop from warding himself as he glanced into the surrounding woods. His brother wouldn’t dare to be outside when night approached like this, but Dean was prone to doing the complete opposite of dear Sammy most of the time anyway, so he didn’t let it bother him.

Dean narrowed his eyes and could just make out what appeared to be a clearing through the trees.

Thinking about it for a moment, Dean weighed the idea of stopping for the night or plowing on ahead.

His stomach took the time to make itself known by letting out a long and loud growl. Dean couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish even though no one was around to hear him. He hadn’t eaten anything since midday, which in hindsight was pretty stupid. He reached a hand out and took out a piece of jerky from his pocket and chewed on it, hoping that it would quiet his belly from making such a noise again.

Deciding to make it an early night he directed his horse back into a brisk walk towards where he saw the clearing, it was just off the beaten path so he wouldn’t get lost in the morning, hopefully.

Even so…Dean looked around him; the woods were strangely quiet today. Not even a bird’s song was heard, or rodents in the brush.

As Dean guided his horse into the clearing, he was taken aback by the sight of a house at the far end of the small meadow.

Had he actually made it to his destination? Dean carefully guided his horse across the tall grass towards the looming building.

Who would build a home in such a place? There wasn’t any kind of town or village for miles. Whoever had lived here wouldn’t have any kind of human contact, at least none close by.

Although that might have been the point…Dean shuddered. He couldn’t imagine what kind of people would enjoy the isolation like that. Dean might enjoy a few solitary moments now and then but he preferred actual company then being by himself.

Stopping his horse a few feet away from the two story building Dean climbed over the saddle and stepped onto the ground, leading his horse over to a tree to tie up for the night. His horse was well behaved but you could never be too careful. Any kind of animal could spook the horse into running off and then Dean would be stranded here.

After making sure that the rope was secure Dean turned his attention back to the house. He was unsure of what he was expected to do here truth be told.

Dean took a hesitating step forward but faltered when a large crow cawed out on a nearby tree branch.

Dean turned a glare up at the loud bird that had startled him. The big black bird just looked unconcerned and cawed loudly again before taking to the sky.

‘Bad omen…’ Dean thought with a chill.

Huffing and gathering up his pride, Dean walked the last few steps to the doorway.

With an analyzing eye he took note that the wood the house was made of wasn’t native to the area. It was of a much darker and harsher wood then the surrounding trees.

The house wasn’t a huge manor by any means but it wasn’t some peasant’s cottage either. It was possibly a summer home for some long dead duke or lord, it was a two level house with an attic and maybe a cellar. Big enough he supposed.

Dean walked up to the front entrance and held up his hand to knock.

Before he could bring his hand down though a harsh wind blew at his back causing him to stumble forward, he managed to catch his footing before he could fall and injure himself. Turning his head back around Dean glared out at the empty meadow behind him. The wind seemed to come from nowhere and had departed as quickly as it had come.

Not wanting to be here any longer then he had too Dean turned back to the door and knocked with his fist.

The sound of his fist hitting the wood echoed loudly in the silence.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Dean called out. Even though the place looked abandoned it didn’t necessarily mean that it was.

He knocked again, this time harder.

“Is anyone home?! Hello!!” Dean yelled out.

But no one answered him except for his own returning echo.

Dean ran a hand through his messy blond locks. What was he going to do now? The sun had set awhile ago and the moon was only just rising.

He didn’t have any light to safely make a fire or pitch his tent. He could always unroll his bedding and sleep on the ground. He wasn’t unfamiliar with uncomfortable sleeping arrangements after all.

He had come like he’d been asked too and he had knocked and called out like he’d been told to do but no one had answered him. He had fulfilled his duties and could go back home to his normal life.

Dean stepped back from the door so that he could look up into the darken windows. Not a single light was lit in any of the shadowy glass panels.

Still…Dean couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched, even though the thought was ridiculous. Who would be watching him out here in the middle of nowhere? A squirrel?

Dean shivered; even though the days were getting warmer and winter was fading away the nights were still cold enough that if Dean didn’t bundle up now he’d wake up with blue lips and frozen toes.

Before heading back to his horse Dean felt an uncharacteristic urge to shout out one last time.

“Hey, if anyone asks, tell them that I came and you didn’t answer. I did as asked and I kept my word. So I guess we’re even now.” Dean felt kind of silly shouting out into the night, it wasn’t like anyone could hear him or anything, but he did feel better for doing it.

Dean turned back around and checked his horse, after taking care of it and taking off the saddle and satchel he wiped her down of the sweat and grime she had accumulated over the long day of carrying him around.

What Dean didn’t see, which was probably for the best, was that the moment he had turned his back to the house a strange glow shown from the second story window overlooking the front yard. It was blurry around the edges and silvery in color but unmistakably the shape of a man.

The silver glowing man stared down at Dean, expressionless for a moment before slowly nodding, it was unsure if he was nodding at either himself or to Dean.

“Dean Winchester…thank you for keeping your family’s word…in exchange you may enter…”

The man whispered before disappearing from view.

Dean whirled around as a loud booming noise ricocheted behind him. The front doors had banged open.

‘The wind must have pushed them open somehow…’ Dean thought, ignoring the fact that there had been no sign of any kind of wind since earlier.

So the million dollar question was…go and bunk down inside or sleep outside the creepy house.

The doors banged again causing Dean to jump.

“Alright already! I get it!” Dean yelled before picking up his sleeping roll and satchel. His horse would be alright by itself, he had covered her back with a heavy woolen blanket and she was already asleep.

Dean walked uncertainly to the open doorway. Peering inside he could barely see anything because of the dark and gloom.

He’d just unroll his bedding close by the door on the floor, best not to try and find any bedrooms. He didn't want to overstay his welcome.

While Dean hadn’t seen anything to give him proof that he was being watched and judged, the small hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. It was like an electric current was in the air and charging more and more as time passed.

Yes, the door would be safest to sleep next to, in the case that he had to flee quickly.

Dean walked inside the gloomy room, leaving the moonlight outdoors behind him. It was much warmer inside, which made him unconsciously relax.

Feeling more confident as nothing happened to him he walked deeper into the room. Letting his eyes adjust to the gloom around him he saw that he was in some kind of parlor, sheeted furniture decorated the room around him.

So it was abandoned…or at least no one lived here right now. The place was very dirty and Dean sneezed a few times as his booted feet stirred up dust.

Placing his bedroll on the ground Dean turned around to close the door but stopped and stared in disbelief to see that the doors were already closed. He hadn’t heard a single thing.

Dean shivered in fear but his pride wouldn’t allow him to run away screaming like he wanted to do deep down. Instead he screwed up his courage and turned back to his bedding. Unrolling it on the ground next to a table Dean set about getting ready for sleep.

It was really too late to investigate the inside of the house, even though he had the insane urge to do so.

Deciding that it would be safer to sleep with his outer clothing and boots on, he hunkered down and pressed his body into his sparse bedding.

Moonlight shone through the windows in the room, illuminating the room and casting an odd but sort of calming silver light. Dean closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

If he had taken the time to think about it he would have figured out that the moon couldn’t be lighting up the room since the room was facing away from where it was rising. The glow hadn’t been coming from the windows but from the archway where the silver glowing man was standing, his expressionless eyes staring fixedly at Dean.

And Dean slept on, unaware of his watcher.

 

 

The End.


End file.
